I have a thing for words and phrases that mean two things and preferably opposite ones. The famous example is the word “cleave”, which can mean to pull apart — and can mean to push together. Another is “sanction”, which can mean approve or can mean disapprove, as in the military action is sanctioned by the UN, but a country’s unsupported army attacks will see it facing sanctions.

Apparently there’s also personne, which in French means either a person, or nobody.

But my personal favourite is the word “through” and I think of it during every results show in Strictly Come Dancing. Following the dance-off part of the contest, the better couple is through to the next week. And the other is out of the competition. They are through.

There is one such term I don’t like, however, and it came up this week. No show.

Someone was a no show at a workshop I was running a few days ago, and because of that, I came within a pixel of being required to cancel the event.

I can’t detail the reasons why it came so close to cancellation, nor can I tell you why it was down to this person’s absence. But I can tell you that if the audience hadn’t already started to arrive, I have no doubt that we would have cancelled.

As it was, the decision was taken to carry on and I know that was better than cancelling, but I also know I didn’t do a great job. I was distracted by a problem that this person’s absence meant continued through the session and I don’t offer that as my excuse, I offer it as my fault.

You’re nice, so you’re now wondering if something stopped this person coming, if there were a problem. I am not wondering this because I wondered it the month before when she also was a no show but for various reasons it wasn’t remotely as much of a problem. You’re clever so you’re now wondering why I relied on her this month then, and I did have a fear going in that she might not show, the organisers and I did have that fear and we did have some possible solutions.

But the solutions were workarounds that in the end couldn’t work around it, and this person who didn’t show up and didn’t send a hint of an excuse, had insistently said beforehand that she’d be coming this time.

It’s not like I can imagine working for me is some great writing opportunity for anyone, but working on this particular series of workshops is. For me, too. It’s privilege to get to do it and while I know I won’t be asked forever, I also know that it will all have to be torn from my fingers when I do have to stop.

Maybe I’m projecting here, but I have a suspicion that both you and I let opportunities go. I suggest that in our case it’s because we don’t see them, or we don’t believe them, and I am adamant that in your case and mine, it won’t ever be because we commit to something and are then no shows.